Ornaments



Dec. 6, 1955 F. DAMIANO ORNAMENTS Filed Sept. 28, 1954 INVENTOR 500% fi m/mo United States Patent ORNAMENTS 'FrankDamianqlNewburg'h N.'Y.

Application September 28,, 1954, Serial No. 458,845 1 Claim. Cl. 240-401 This invention relates to Christmas tree ornaments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a Christmas tree ornament which is designed to present the appearance of moving objects in a life-like and realistic manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a Christmas tree ornament of the above type wherein the movement of the objects visible through the outside of the ornament is occasioned by heat currents rising from an interior electric lamp, which lamp also serves to illuminate the ornament.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a Christmas tree ornament bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and efficient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyin drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view shown alone of the interior revolving portion of the device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 3, represents a hemispherical casing of magnifying, transparent material integrally formed at its open side with an overhanging ledge 11 and at the bottom with a ledge 12 integrally formed with an upwardly extending pin 13, substantially as illustrated. A complementary hemispherical casing 14 of similar material is formed along its open edge with the ledge 15 adapted to fit under the overhanging ledge 11 and the ledge 16 overlying ledge 12 when the casings are assembled illustrated best in Fig. l, the ledge 16 being provided with an upwardly extending opening which receives therewithin the pin 13. A screw 17 is screw threaded through the ledges 11, 15 and serves to retain the casings 10 and 14 in assembled relationship.

The casing 10 adjacent the overhanging ledge 17 is integrally formed with a projection or upwardly extending lug 18, having a mounting opening 19 adapted to support the ornament in a self-balancing, pivotal manner, as will be obvious.

Thebottom of the casing 10 is enlarged or thickened, as at 20, and fixedly mounts therewithin an electric lamp socket 21, connected to a suitable source of power by means of an electrical cord 22, an electric lamp 23 being screwed therewithin. The bottom of the casings 10 and 14 are provided with the circular vent openings 24 disposed concentrically relative to the bulb 23. The casings 10 and 14 are also provided with the radially spaced A cylindrical revolving member 29 open at the bottom is formed with a central hub 30j-whifli rotatablyreceives therewithin the 'upper end 28 of the support 26,- where- Zby to rotatably mount the member 29=-thereon, the "top wall 31 of the member being provided with 'tl1'e radially spaced vanes "struck upwardly therefrom 32. Action figures 33, for example a sled and reindeer are portrayed 'on 'the'ontside of ithe cylinder being visible through the casings 10, 14.

As shown in Fig. l, the casing 10 is integrally formed With the stop 34 while the casing 14 is integrally formed with the stop 35, these stops overhanging the upper end 31 of the revolving member and serving to prevent the same from becoming displaced from the standard 26 upon movement of the ornament. The casings 10, 14 is frosted or clouded so as to make the movement of the revolving figures 33 appear to be on the outside of the revolving member 29. The revolving member 29 isof clear, transparent material and any suitable figures 23 or advertising material, pertinent to Christmas, may be attached thereto;

In order to remove the bulb 23, it is only necessary to remove screw 17 and to pivot the casing 14 away from casing 10 about the pin 13 and to lift the casing 14 upwardly.

In operation, air passing inwardly through the lower vents 24 will be heated by the bulb 23 and will pass upwardly through the vanes 32, which motion will cause the member 29 to revolve, this heated air then escaping upwardly through the vents 25.

The casings 10, 14 may be of any desired shape, other than spherical, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

For example, in Fig. 4, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein a casing is provided and includes an upper hemispherical portion 36 integrally formed with a corrugated, cylindrical body portion 37, the body portion 37 being open at the bottom and integrally formed with the extensions 38 which overlie the flanges 39 (Fig. 5) of a removable bottom hemispherical shell 40, the shell 40 being secured to the body portion 37 by means of the screw 41. The hemispherical upper portion 36 is integrally formed with the support 42 having the opening 43 and is provided with the vents 44 while the lower hemispherical portion 40 mounts within the lamp socket and bulb assembly 46, similar to the first form.

If, desired, the ornament may be made without the socket 21 and lamp 23 and being adapted to receive through the bottom thereof a conventional Christmas tree bulb without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. By making the body portion corrugated, when the inside cylinder 29 revolves, a waving motion will be imparted to the observer.

When the cylinder 29 is revolving, the figures 33 will appear to be moving in a life-like manner and when the ornament is suspended from the tree by means of the opening 43, it will be perfectly balanced due to its own weight. The interior of the hemispherical portion 36 of the second form may be integrally formed with a depending member 47 which serves to retain the cylindrical member on the support 28.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An ornament comprising a hollow transparent 'shell, electric lamp means mounted within the bottomjof said shell, means at the'top of said shell for supporting the same in a balanced manner from a Christmas tree, ,a hollow member open at the bottom within said shell, said hollow member on the outside thereof having figures visible through said shell which will appear to movein a realistic manner, when said hollow member is revolving, a standard extending upwardly from the bottom of said shell alongside said electric lamp means, the upper end of said standard being bent inwardly and terminating in a vertically centrally disposed point, the top wall of said hollow member having a centrally disposed opening receiving said pointrotatably therewithin, said shell at the top and bottom thereof having ventilating openings, said hollow member surrounding said electric lamp means and being provided at the top thereof with radially spaced vanes whereby to rotate said hollow member upon upward movement of heated air through said shell under the action of said electric lamp means, said shell being formed of complementary hemispherical halves having overlapping portions at the top and bottom, complemental-y pin and recess means provided in one of said overhanging portions and fastening means in the other of said overhanging portions, the inside of said shell being formed with stops adapted to limit the displacement of said hollow member off of said standard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES-PATENTS 

